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Hello from Wisconsin

So im new to the forum and only have had a hive for 1 season. Quite honestly I only have bees to help with my garden...well that's how it started at first now I find its kinda fun and helps round me off as a person. I have been in the military now for 12 years am big into outdoors ie. hunting, camping, shooting and that's why I feel beekeeping as well as stain glass helps round me out as a person. I also do have a medium size garden about 100' x 50', and whats funny is im located in a small town. That's my little bio I hope to learn a lot as I come online here.

Re: Hello from Wisconsin

Hi Bullin82! I'm in Wisconsin also; this is my 2nd year beekeeping, and my 1st year with my own hives (last year a friend kindly introduced me to beekeeping when he asked if he could unload a hive at my farm but showed up with 3 in his truck!). I drove through your general area Saturday, on my way to and from a blacksmithing class in Eagle, with my dad - your flowers and trees are well ahead of ours 2 hours to the north!

Did your hive make it through the winter? If so, what did you do to accomplish it? I had 1 die from I don't know what (perhaps moisture, there was a little snow drift inside when I checked on a warm day in February) and the other seemed okay but died and I think in retrospect that I should have fed them syrup as soon as I saw they were still alive. I'm interested to know what you did to your hive to keep it alive in our climate.

Re: Hello from Wisconsin

Re: Hello from Wisconsin

I thought I was doing ok because I only harvested 1 of the supers last year once last year and left them 2 for the winter as feed, but winter was long and spring was cold and wet. By the time I could get into the hive to feed them they were stressed and weak, no I see that most the hive has left except for literally about 10 bees and the queen. Im sure if I could have fed them earlier I would have this problem but here I am.